Tie wraps are strips of material used to retain or collect a length of cable, wires, or other materials. Tie wraps may be used to gather a group of wires emanating from a computer system or to gather ribbon cable within the computer system chassis, for example. Where the materials to be contained are long, multiple tie wraps may be disposed at intervals along the materials.
Tie wraps are available in many forms. Generally made from an elastomeric material such as nylon, the tie wrap generally includes a clasp at one end through which the other end passes, forming a loop. The tie wrap is placed transverse to the materials to be contained, the end is fed through the clasp, and the end is pulled, tightening the tie wrap around the materials. Sometimes, the clasp includes teeth which allow one-way engagement of the tie wrap. Once the tie wrap end is fed through the clasp, it cannot be loosened, but only tightened. Further, such a tie wrap is removed generally by cutting the tie wrap from the materials, which destroys the tie wrap.
In some environments, cutting the tie wraps is undesirable. During maintenance of a computer system, for example, a cable assembly may be removed from a chassis in order to gain access to other circuitry, such as the motherboard. Once the cable assembly has been removed, it may be difficult to ascertain its original location or configuration.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a tie wrap assembly that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.